Perceptions Being able to communicate effectively is an essential skill. Communication is the act of transferring information from one place to another, whether this is verbal or non-verbal. The way we dress, walk, our body language, gestures and even our scent, are examples of non-verbal communication that we are constantly sending whether we want to or not. Because of this, the receiver may make inaccurate perceptions about the sender. Perceptions are the arousal of our senses. Perceptions can be either indirect or direct perceptions. Indirect perceptions involve using your own perceptual abilities to seek additional information to confirm or refute your interpretations of someone’s behavior. On the other hand, direct perceptions involve asking someone else whether your interpretations of what you perceive are correct. Making a good first impression is important, but for some people, like me, it may be really hard. I am a quiet, shy girl, so I think people see me as reserved and unapproachable, but in reality I’m only shy and quiet when I’m around people I don’t know, or people I just met. A verbally communication example of why I think this, is that when I first talk to a person I just met I tend to look down and put my hands behind my back, sometimes I blush and I can’t stop smiling because of my nervousness. A non-verbally example is when I’m in class. I usually don’t talk, unless I know someone, the majority of the time I have a serious face, I usually sit on the back and if I don’t feel comfortable in that class I won’t sit straight. The people I know made inaccurate perceptions about me before they even met me. Now that I know